The Life of a Flower
by sera131
Summary: "Mai looked at her desk in irritation. An unknown someone had sent her flowers again." Mai doesn't like receiving flowers and a secret admirer keeps sending them. How to resolve this issue? Will someone come to her rescue?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Something I couldn't get out of my head. Please let me know what you think.

 **Disclaimer:** All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.

* * *

Mai looked at her desk in irritation. An unknown someone had sent her flowers again. This was the second time in two weeks. Last week had been red roses. This week, she wasn't even sure what they were. It was a bouquet of star-like flowers, each with six white petals. In the center of each flower was a yellow cup-like structure. Mai wasn't an expert on flowers, and she didn't care to be, so she had no idea what this variety of flower was, let alone what it symbolized.

Mai growled in annoyance, wishing the flowers would just disappear.

"Is something wrong, Taniyama-san?" came Lin's voice.

Mai glanced up from the flowers to see Lin standing on the other side of her desk.

"Yes," she said angrily, "someone sent me flowers."

Lin looked down at the bouquet of flowers, frowning slightly. "You dislike flowers?"

"I don't necessarily dislike flowers," she explained, "I just hate receiving them as gifts."

Lin tilted his head slightly, a questioning look on his usually inexpressive face.

Mai sighed, interpreting Lin's silent question. "It's just sad watching them wither away in pain," she further explained.

"You think flowers feel pain?" he asked doubtfully.

"They bleed, don't they?" Mai said in response.

"And yet, you eat meat," Lin stated matter-of-factly.

Mai pursed her lips in annoyance at Lin's indifference. "If you didn't care, then why did you ask?"

"It's not that I don't care," Lin said calmly, "I just don't understand your logic."

"And that's your first mistake," Mai told him seriously. "Because it's emotional, and emotions aren't logical."

"Fair enough," Lin conceded, his face remaining emotionless.

Mai sighed, giving up on the conversation.

"Can you just get rid of them, please?" she asked.

"Certainly," he said, approaching her desk to pick up the vase of flowers.

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

Lin nodded to her in response before turning to leave. He left Mai sitting at her desk as he made his way to the back offices, passing by the resource room. Stopping at Naru's door, he knocked before entering at Naru's command.

"What is it?" Naru asked as Lin entered the office, closing the door behind him.

Lin walked to Naru's desk, setting down the vase of flowers.

"Really, Naru," Lin said, unimpressed, "you gave her narcissuses?"

Naru shot him an irritated glance. "Why did you bring them in here? Didn't she like them?"

"No," Lin said flatly, "and I don't think she even knew what they were. So, I highly doubt she got your meaning."

"Anyone else would have known what they meant," Naru replied derisively.

Lin glared at Naru. "Stop giving Taniyama-san flowers."

"What?" Naru asked in surprise.

"Stop giving Taniyama-san flowers," Lin repeated. "She doesn't like them."

"Mai doesn't like flowers?" Naru asked skeptically.

"That's what she said," Lin responded.

Naru let out a sigh. "Then what do you suggest I get her?"

"How about nothing," Lin replied, a slight edge to his voice.

"I'm not going to stop pursuing her just because you like her too," Naru said in annoyance. "I have just as much a claim to her as you do."

"Whatever," Lin bit out, turning to leave. He closed the door behind him with more force than usual.

Naru sat in growing irritation. He was getting fed up with this rivalry for Mai's affection. Naru didn't think Lin had any right to criticize his efforts when the man himself didn't take any actions to woo the young woman. He wasn't just going to stand by and wait while Lin simply pined over Mai.

There was another knock at his door.

"Come in," he called.

"Naru," Mai said as she opened the door, "I brought your morning—"

Naru's head snapped up to look at Mai as she let out a surprised squeak.

"What is it?" Naru asked, frowning.

"Lin-san gave you flowers?" Mai asked, slightly blushing.

"What—" Naru began, before an idea formed in his head. "Oh. I already told him I wasn't interested, but Lin's persistent."

Naru smiled devilishly as Mai let out another squeak, her blush deepening. She quickly brought Naru's tea to his desk before turning to leave.

"Oh, and Mai," Naru called.

"Yes?" Mai asked still blushing.

"Thank you," Naru said, continuing to smile.

"N-no problem," Mai stammered before exiting the office.

Naru's smile widened in self-satisfaction. He was confident he would be the victor.

~oOo~

Lin sat in front of a computer in the resource room, re-watching videos from one of their previous cases for the purpose of data analysis. He tapped the keyboard roughly. He was fuming. Naru was really starting to piss him off. In Lin's view, Naru was acting like this was some game and Mai was the prize. He wished he had never admitted to Naru that he had feelings for Mai. Ever since then, Naru had shown a greater interest in her. And Lin felt that Naru definitely had an advantage over him.

If Lin knew anything from watching Naru act the entertainer at social functions, it was that Naru was able to perform whatever was necessary to get what he wanted. He could do it without a care in the world. Naru had made himself an expert on trickery. Lin had always been slightly unsettled by this even though he knew Naru did it so that he would never be tricked himself.

Regardless of all that, nearly everyone who met Naru admitted he was highly attractive. Lin himself had admitted it without any qualms. It was a fact, really. And they all knew Mai was attracted to Gene, and by default Naru.

Lin was disrupted from his thoughts by a knock at the door. He turned, waiting for the knocker to enter. Mai opened the door moments later.

"Lin-san?" Mai inquired.

Lin didn't respond, he simply looked up to her, making eye contact.

"I made you tea," Mai said after a few moments. She brought the cup of tea over to him and set it down on the desk.

"Thank you, Taniyama-san," Lin said politely.

Mai nodded, but didn't leave. She remained standing next to him, nervously toying with the hem of her shirt.

"Taniyama-san," Lin said to get her attention.

"Hmm?" Mai replied absently.

"Was there something else you needed?" he questioned.

"I was just wondering," she began slowly, "why do you like Naru?"

Lin raised his eyebrows at her question. It was a strange question, especially when he had just been thinking about how much the young man pissed him off.

"Well..." Lin started, "although he can be somewhat trying at times, I do think he's quite intelligent and has many talents. I suppose I just respect him."

"Oh," Mai said, slightly blushing. "But Lin-san, if he says he's not interested, don't you think you should move on?"

"What?!" Lin asked, slightly confused.

"Well," Mai said nervously, "you gave Naru those flowers and he said he told you he wasn't interested, but you wouldn't give up."

Lin was quiet for a moment, his mind blank from the shock of Mai's words. Then he suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair.

"That bastard!" Lin yelled as he stomped out of the room.

"Wait, Lin-san!" Mai said, quickly grabbing his arm. Her feet dragged across the floor in the effort to hold him back.

Lin growled as he was slowed in his goal to reach Naru.

"Lin-san, please!" Mai said earnestly. "If you love him, let him go!"

"I'm not in love with _him_ ," Lin said angrily, turning towards Mai, "I'm in love with _you_!"

"Whaaaa—" Mai exclaimed, letting go of Lin's arm in surprise. She immediately fell over, letting out an 'oomph'.

Lin stood, chest heaving, as he stared down at Mai. He let out an angry huff.

"Naru's the one who sent you the flowers," he told her. "I was just returning them to him."

"Oh..." Mai said, staring at Lin wide-eyed.

Lin sighed, shaking his head, before walking back to the resource room. He slammed the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Is this a little bit ridiculous?

 **Disclaimer:** All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.

* * *

Mai shakily stood up, feeling unsteady. She wondered what she had done in life to end up in a situation like this. Naru was sending her flowers, Lin had confessed his love, and apparently, the two were fighting over her. What she needed right now, at this moment, was chocolate. Chocolate would calm her nerves, she decided.

She slowly made her way to the kitchen, feeling as if she was in a dream. Thinking that this might be a dream, Mai slapped her cheeks a few times.

"Ow," Mai said, rubbing her hand against her face. "Definitely not a dream then."

Sighing, Mai began her search through the kitchen, growing more frustrated as she eliminated each cabinet. After a thorough search, Mai stopped, contemplating the office's lack of chocolate. That is to say, there wasn't any.

"Why did I drink all the hot cocoa?" Mai questioned mournfully.

Mai sorely wished Naru had sent her chocolate instead of flowers. She paused at that thought, slightly laughing. She enjoyed her twist on the proverb, "Dumplings instead of flowers." It basically meant, substance over form, which was certainly the case at this moment. At least then, she'd be able to enjoy the gift.

Mai sighed in frustration as she leaned forward, placing her hands on the counter.

'A narcissistic jerk and an emotionless robot. How's a girl to choose?' Mai wondered.

This was her lot in life. The problem wasn't that she didn't have feelings for either of them. Actually, she loved them both dearly. They were her good friends, even if Naru always treated her like an idiot and Lin hardly ever said a word to her. The real problem was that she didn't see either of them as good dating material.

And she certainly didn't know how healthy a relationship with either of them would be. With Naru, she always got angry. With Lin, she tended to get frustrated with his silence. If she really had to choose —

No, she wasn't going to think about that right now. Neither of them had proven themselves to her yet. And while she wouldn't make a decision at the moment, she wasn't going to outright refuse either of them.

Then again, Mai thought she might die from embarrassment if she had to go on individual dates with either of them. She contemplated that for a moment. When she thought about it, she figured she could go on a date with both of them at once. Then it would just be a friendly get together between coworkers. She could get to know them a little better and they could prove to her why they were the right one for her.

Mai smiled to herself. This was her chance. After years of bitter disappointment, she might finally get to go somewhere she had always wanted to go… Tokyo Disneyland. And she wouldn't have to spend a thing. They couldn't refuse her, right?

Lin had said he was in love with her, and he already did most of the little things she asked, so she figured he'd probably agree. Naru would definitely refuse at first, but knowing his personality, he wouldn't let Lin win against him. As such, Mai was betting on Lin in order to achieve her goals.

"Don't think of it like that," Mai chastised herself.

This wasn't just her attempt to go to Disneyland. She genuinely wanted to see if there was a future with either of them. But the hard part was going to be getting them in the same room to ask them. Or maybe the hard part was getting up the courage to ask at all.

Mai decided she would start with Lin. He was definitely upset and she needed to address that issue first. She thought over what she might say as she made her way to the resource room. When she was there, she knocked on the door. The door opened before she was even done knocking.

Lin looked down at her morosely as he stood in the doorway.

"Lin-san?" Mai said cautiously.

"What?" he asked impassively.

"I'm sorry," she offered.

Lin's expression softened. "There's no need to apologize."

"No," Mai said firmly, "I overreacted."

"I understand," he reassured her. "I hadn't meant to confess that. I surprised myself."

"It was wrong of Naru to say those things about you," she told him.

Lin rolled his eyes. "I should have known he would."

"I want to talk to both of you," she told him seriously. "Would that be okay?"

Lin nodded, opening the door fully. "Where?"

"Is the main office okay?" she asked.

Lin nodded again before walking past her to wait in the main office. Mai couldn't help but notice how cooperative and understanding he was being. It went easier than she had thought it would. She liked this side of him.

Next was Naru, which she slightly dreaded. Rallying her courage, Mai walked next door to Naru's office. She knocked and waited for permission to enter.

"Come in," she heard from within the office.

"Naru?" Mai said after opening the door.

"What is it?" he asked her, looking up from the papers on his desk.

"I was wondering if I could speak with you and Lin-san in the main office," she told him.

"What for?" he asked, looking at her in suspicion.

"I'd rather discuss it together," she told him.

"Mai," Naru said warningly.

"Please, just trust me," Mai said with a sigh. She didn't know why Naru always had to be so difficult.

"I don't have time to play games, Mai," Naru told her in irritation.

"Naru," came Lin's voice from behind Mai.

The unexpected voice caused Mai to yelp in surprise and Lin placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her. Naru immediately stood from his chair.

"What's going on?" Naru asked, now on alert.

"Taniyama-san simply asked to speak with us and I believe it would be best for us to hear what she has to say," Lin told Naru, his voice steady.

"Fine," Naru conceded, albeit reluctantly.

They all made their way to the main office. Mai sat down on the couch and the two men sat opposite her. She looked at them, nervously wringing her hands. Their faces gave no hint of what they were thinking.

"It's been brought to my attention," Mai started, "that you're both interested in me romantically."

"When did that happen?" Naru asked in surprise. Apparently, Naru was oblivious to the commotion from earlier.

"When Taniyama-san suggested that, 'If you love him, let him go.'" Lin deadpanned.

'Crap,' Naru thought, 'I underestimated her.' He hadn't factored Mai's desire to resolve issues into his calculations.

"Regardless of all that," Mai said, giving Naru a disapproving look, "I'd like to start fresh."

"What do you suggest?" Naru asked.

"I don't think I'd be comfortable dating you both individually," Mai told them, starting to get nervous again, "so I want us all to go out together."

Naru made a derisive sound. "What, to dinner or something?"

"No," Mai said, trying to control her anger. "Somewhere special, somewhere I've always wanted to go."

Mai paused. She was losing her nerve. She didn't know how they would take it and she didn't want them to think she was just being childish.

"I was wondering," she continued, "if it'd be alright, if maybe…" Mai felt herself blushing so she quickly finished with, "Can we go to Disneyland?!"

The two men answered in unison.

"No," Naru said.

"Okay," Lin agreed.

Naru quickly turned his head to look at Lin. "What?"

"Taniyama-san," Lin directed to Mai, "if that's what you want, then I'll gladly go with you."

"Fine," Naru cut in, "I'll go, too."

Mai smiled, laughing slightly. It happened just like she thought it would and she was glad of it. She'd finally get to go to Disneyland, and maybe, she'd even fall in love.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** TLOAF returns! Tokyo Disneyland! Sorry, it's really daunting trying to write about somewhere you've never been.

 **Disclaimer:** All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.

* * *

They all met at the train station around noon on the following Saturday. The weather was nice out and Mai enjoyed the warm sun against her face. Lin and Naru were dressed in semi-casual attire and Mai had to admit that they both looked fairly attractive. Although, she found it funny that they chose to wear matching black polos.

"You guys look cute," Mai complimented.

Lin smiled very slightly and looked like he was about to say something until Naru spoke first.

"Of course I do," Naru agreed.

Mai sighed.

"Narcissist," she mumbled.

They all fell into silence as they waited for the train. Naru was a little irritated that he agreed to go, but he wasn't going to leave Mai alone with Lin. It might have been the one day that Lin got up the courage to sweep Mai off her feet, and he wouldn't allow that.

"Why do you want to go to Disneyland anyway?" Naru questioned testily.

Mai looked down uncomfortably.

"My mother promised we would go," she said quietly, "but then..."

She stopped talking and Naru sincerely regretted his harsh tone.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's not your fault," she replied. "It was bound to come up."

They stood in silence once again and not long after, the train arrived.

~oOo~

"Yes!" Mai cheered as she clenched her fist and held it victoriously in the air.

"Idiot," Naru called to Mai, "we haven't even made it to the park yet."

Naru felt Lin place a hand on his head. His face dipped slightly forward as Lin gently pushed his head downward.

"Naru," he warned.

Naru pushed Lin's hand away.

"I know," he said, "I'll be nice."

They had this talk before they left to meet Mai at the station. Lin had made him promise to cut back on the insults and sarcasm.

"But you know," Naru continued, "you'd win Mai over faster if you didn't give me advice."

"I'd rather she be happy," Lin replied quietly. "So don't ruin her day."

"Hey, you two," Mai called back to them, "hurry up!"

They walked over to join Mai and then all three of them headed toward the park.

"Where first?" Naru asked on the way over.

"Well," Mai began, "I thought we'd start with Tomorrowland. It's all techy, so you and Lin-san should like it, but it also has the Space Mountain roller coaster."

"Fine," Naru conceded causing Mai to smile happily.

~oOo~

Once they got into the park and made their way over to Space Mountain, they had to wait in line for a little while. All three were glad once they reached the front of the line. There was a young male attendant letting people through. He allowed Naru and Mai forward without any trouble, but stopped Lin.

"Sorry, sir, but you can't ride this roller coaster," he informed him.

Mai turned around with a look of shock.

"What?" she questioned. "Why not?"

"Unfortunately, he's too tall," the attendant explained. "It would be a safety hazard."

"But the sign says the only height restriction is that you have to be over 102 centimeters," Mai protested.

"It's a judgement call," he replied.

Mai glared at the man. 'What a jerk!' she thought. She was about to voice more complaints when Naru suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Let's go, Mai, you're holding up the line," he told her. "Lin can wait for us."

"But…" she started to protest as she was dragged away.

Lin was left standing in line as he morosely watched the pair enter to board the ride with Naru firmly holding Mai's hand the entire time.

"Sir, you can wait for them over there," the attendant said as he pointed to an area outside of the line. "They'll be fine left unattended."

Lin briefly glared at the young man for implying that he was their chaperone, but quietly went to the specified area to wait anyway. He was going to hate it if he had to go through this all day.

~oOo~

When Naru got off the ride, he felt absolutely terrible.

"Naru, are you okay?" Mai asked as they made their way over to Lin.

He looked more pale than usual, if that was at all possible. Mai thought his skin truly looked like porcelain now.

Naru suddenly stopped walking and grabbed his stomach.

"I think I'm going to vomit," he groaned in pain.

Immediately after saying that, he quickly made his way over to the nearest trashcan and proceeded to throw up.

Mai cringed and turned towards Lin.

"Who knew he had such bad motion sickness," she commented. "I guess roller coasters are out of the question, then."

Lin nodded in agreement and was secretly pleased.

"Anywhere you'd like to go, Lin-san?" Mai inquired.

He shook his head.

"Today is about you," he replied.

"Well," Mai said thoughtfully, "Naru will probably want to find a bathroom so he can wash out his mouth."

"That's true," Lin agreed.

"But after that," Mai continued, "maybe we can go to Westernland. I want to ride the Mark Twain Riverboat at night with the fireworks, but I'd also like to see it during the day. Also, there's the shooting gallery, so maybe you and Naru can have a shoot off for my love."

Mai smiled happily and Lin couldn't help returning a small smile.

After the sound of Naru's sickness ceased, they looked in his direction. He unsteadily backed away from the trashcan and sat heavily on the ground.

"Naru, are you okay?" Mai called over.

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

Mai shook her head.

"He looks like he needs you to carry him, Lin-san," she said jokingly.

"I said I'm fine!" Naru yelled.

"Then let's go, you big jerk!" Mai yelled in return.

She saw him grumble something under his breath, but couldn't hear it. After a few moments, he stood up with some effort and came over to join them.

"Let's go," he muttered angrily.

~oOo~

"I can't believe the rifles use infrared light," Mai remarked as she looked at the mock Winchester rifles.

"That's because it's cheaper," Naru replied.

Mai was thoughtful for a moment. It seemed the best explanation. It would save the park a lot of money if they didn't have to pay for all the pellets and targets all the time.

"Well, you two have at it!" she said encouragingly.

Naru and Lin stepped up to two of the rifles and took them in hand.

"May the best man win!" Mai added cheerfully.

Naru shook his head. She was enjoying this too much. But he was certainly going to win. He placed the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and took aim at a target by a bottle.

After he pulled the trigger, the bottle slowly fell over before returning to its original state. That must have meant that he hit the target. The bottle next to it did the same thing, which likely meant that Lin hit his target as well.

After a few more shots where neither of them missed, Naru decided that Lin was too good to not play dirty. Since the rifles didn't use real ammo, that meant he would have to use his PK to move the rifle itself. There was no way Lin wouldn't notice, but he was going to do it anyway.

Just as Lin was pulling the trigger on his sixth shot, he felt a slight tug on his rifle. He missed the target. He quickly turned his head towards Naru and frowned. Naru was acting like nothing had happened and continued to aim at the targets, but Lin knew he had used his PK to move his gun.

Mai noticed Lin's reaction and wondered if Naru had done something to interfere with Lin's shot. She wouldn't put it past him.

Lin took aim again and hoped Naru would knock off his childish behavior. The moment he began to fire, though, he felt the tug on his rifle again and missed his target.

He sighed and glared at Naru. He was finding it difficult, but at least he was trying to resist the urge to smack the young man in the back of the head. He took aim once more and decided to employ his own tactic. When he fired his eighth shot, just as predicted, there was another tug on his rifle. He hit his target this time. He had successfully compensated for Naru's interference.

Naru quickly turned to him with a deep scowl.

"Wha—" Naru halted and Lin smirked.

"That's enough now," Lin said calmly.

Mai thought he was the perfect image of a cowboy standing against evil. It was too cool. She nodded to herself, secretly cheering for him.

In the end, Naru left Lin alone and they both hit the rest of their targets. They accepted their score cards from the machines below their rifles. Naru got ten out of ten. Lin managed eight out of ten, but his score card had the word lucky on it.

They went over to the female attendant and Naru handed over his card. She punched a hole in it and handed Naru a silver star badge.

Mai took Lin's card and showed the woman.

"His card says lucky, does he get anything?" she asked.

The woman smiled and pulled a badge from her apron.

"He gets the gold badge," she announced as she handed it over.

Naru stared at the badge.

"Why does he get a gold one?" he asked.

"Because he's lucky," Mai teased.

Naru looked furious that, by chance, Lin got a better badge than he did and for a moment it seemed like he wanted to snatch it from him. He turned away suddenly and walked off some distance. Mai and Lin followed after him.

"You two have to wear the badges now," Mai told them.

Naru leaned sulkily against a fence and crossed his arms. He didn't look like he was going to put on his badge.

Lin looked down to pin his badge on his shirt as Mai had requested, but his hair kept falling completely into his face. It prevented him from being able to see where to pin it.

"Here, let me help," Mai offered.

She came over to him and took his badge. Reaching up, she pinned it to his shirt and ensured that it was on straight.

In the process, Mai took note of the way Lin's untucked shirt fell over his body without his usual tie. The shirt was slightly creased and she unintentionally ran her hands down his chest to smooth it out. His body felt firm and muscular rather than boney and undefined like she thought it would.

The moment she realized what she was doing, Mai immediately pulled her hands away. She felt her face heat up and knew it was probably bright red.

Lin lowered his head, feeling slightly embarrassed himself, but he couldn't help smiling a little. He thought that at least she seemed to like what was on offer. He mentally slapped himself for that one. Those thoughts were out of the question until she agreed to be his.

"Are you going to pin mine on as well?" Naru asked sweetly.

Lin and Mai quickly looked towards Naru. Their expressions looked as if they had suddenly been caught doing something wrong.

"Of— of course," Mai stammered.

Naru came over, a beautiful smile on his face, and held out his star badge.

Mai turned fully towards him and took the proffered badge from his hand. Suddenly, she realized she was practically sandwiched between the two men's chests. She screamed in her mind and tried to calm herself down. After a moment, she reached out a shaky hand and pinned Naru's badge to his shirt.

All three of them stood quietly for a short while.

"You look warm," Naru said suddenly. "Do you want some ice cream?"

"Uhh… sure," Mai replied.

"Lin?" Naru asked.

Lin quietly nodded in response.

As Naru went to buy them all ice cream, Lin and Mai found a small picnic table. Naru came back and they ate their ice cream in relative silence.

~oOo~

The rest of the day was spent looking at various attractions and involved a great deal of bickering and competition. Surprisingly, Naru had mellowed out towards the end of the day, but Mai was still glad once night rolled around.

The three of them made their way back to Westernland to ride the Mark Twain Riverboat. This was the second time they would ride it today, but Mai was determined to see the fireworks from the boat. There were also a lot of beautiful lights on the boat now that it was dark out.

They made it on the boat and went up to the third level. Once the tour started, Mai noticed another major difference. The music had changed. While earlier they had played country music on the boat, the music now took on a romantic rhythm. Mai looked around her and there seemed to be a number of couples standing close together.

"It really is beautiful," Naru remarked.

"Yeah, I know, like your face," Mai responded. "That one's getting old, Naru."

Naru turned towards her.

"That wasn't what I was going to say," he insisted.

"Really?" Mai asked in surprise.

Naru nodded. He looked at her intently. She was slightly mesmerized by the way the light shimmered in his dark eyes.

"I know I'm a bit of a jerk," he admitted, "and I probably should have said this sooner, but I think you're truly beautiful, Mai."

Mai's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe he had said that. Before she knew what was happening, Naru was leaning in to kiss her. She quickly raised her hands and Naru was sorely disappointed when his face ended up smooshed against them.

"What are you doing?" he asked in irritation as he smacked her hands away. "Are you trying to ruin my perfect face?"

Mai shook her head. He was back to normal.

"Why would you try to kiss me without permission!?" she exclaimed.

Naru smiled smugly.

"I was doing you a favor," he replied in a condescending manner. "You should be thankful."

Mai clinched her hands into fists, resisting the urge to clobber him.

"If you think I'm going to fall to my knees in supplication just because you're the great and mighty Oliver Davis," she told him in an angry whisper, "then you're wrong!"

"Any sane girl would," he countered. "So I don't think the problem is with me."

Mai scowled.

"Every time," she seethed. "Every single time I think you've finally grown up and started caring about something other than your ego, you go and prove me wrong."

"It doesn't take much—"

"Just stop it!" Mai interrupted. "Don't you get it? You're not making yourself look any better. Who knows if you ever cared, but any chance you might have had with me is long gone."

Naru looked at Mai in shock. For once he was silenced. After a moment, he turned from her somewhat petulantly and walked some distance away.

Mai exhaled angrily and walked over to the railing in front of her, grabbing ahold of it. Not long after, she saw a tall figure approach her out of the corner of her eye. She knew it was Lin.

"Thank you for not kissing Naru," Lin said quietly.

"It wasn't to spare your feelings," Mai confessed.

"Either way," he replied, "thank you."

Mai sighed and hung her head. Following this, there was a loud bang as the first of the fireworks went off. Mai looked up. The sky was lit up in a blaze of colorful light. Then, another loud bang erupted before the first light could sizzle out.

Lin placed his hand on the railing next to Mai's, not quite making contact.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

Mai glanced towards him.

"What for?" she asked over the fireworks.

Lin leaned over slightly so that Mai could hear him.

"For whatever part I had in ruining your day," he explained.

Mai sighed, wondering why she had never realized how thoughtful Lin was. It was true that he was a very stubborn and taciturn man, but he genuinely seemed to care about her.

"It's okay," she finally replied, leaning her head against his arm.

In truth, she was actually enjoying this moment with him. She considered that the only thing that would make the moment better would be if Lin took the hint and wrapped his arm around her.

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to. Or perhaps he hadn't gotten up the courage. Either way, Mai decided she would take the initiative. She lifted Lin's arm and placed it over her shoulders as she made herself comfortable against his side. Oddly enough, she could hear his heartbeat. It seemed to be beating rather quickly.

Mai looked up at Lin, who was staring steadfastly at the sky. She wondered if he was trying to avoid looking at her.

"Hey Lin-san, are you nervous?" she asked.

She could see his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. After a moment, he looked at her and nodded in confirmation. She smiled up at him.

"I'm glad I got to share this day with you," she admitted.

"I'm glad as well," he smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** All characters in Ghost Hunt are the creation of the Goddess Ono Fuyumi-sama.

* * *

After they finished their ride on the riverboat, Mai decided it was time to leave. She never would have thought a day at an amusement park could be so exhausting, but today proved her wrong. Nevertheless, she mostly enjoyed it. It was definitely memorable.

They walked towards the exit more or less as a group, but on their way out, Naru stopped Lin.

"You'd better not waste your chance," Naru told him quietly.

Lin looked towards Mai. She hadn't noticed that he and Naru had stopped, and she continued to walk. Lin returned his gaze to Naru.

"Why'd you sabotage yourself?" he asked.

Naru softly exhaled.

"I didn't do it intentionally," he answered. "I realized I was losing. That kiss was a last ditch effort to win her over, but I never would've guessed she was going stop me."

"And she hurt your pride," Lin guessed.

"I think she enjoys doing that," Naru grumbled. "I probably couldn't put up with it, but you, you're in love with her, aren't you?"

"Yes," Lin confirmed.

"I'm not in love with Mai," Naru admitted, "and she's definitely not in love with me. She prefers people like you and Gene."

Lin was silent as he thought about being compared to Gene by Naru. After a moment, Naru gestured towards Mai with his head.

"She's waiting for you," he noted. "Take her out somewhere. Talk your relationship over. I want results."

Lin glanced at Mai to see her patiently waiting some distance away. He looked back to Naru.

"You'll be alright?" he asked.

"Don't ask stupid questions," Naru replied.

"Of course," Lin laughed. "You're an adult now."

Naru looked away.

"Get out of here already," he muttered.

Lin gently smiled before turning to walk towards Mai. He knew Naru would be fine. He had plenty of admirers to boost his ego.

"Pleasant conversation?" Mai asked as Lin approached.

Lin nodded.

"His heart is mending," he commented. "But he'd like to be alone."

"Well, that's good," she replied. "What about you?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out for a snack," he answered, "hot cocoa maybe?"

Mai smiled. He knew she loved hot cocoa. She nodded happily.

"I can't refuse cocoa," she confessed.

~oOo~

Lin and Mai took the train back to Tokyo and Mai decided on a cafe for them. After ordering drinks, they found seats that offered them some privacy.

"Well," Mai began, "is there anything you want to talk about?"

Lin swallowed nervously, but tried to remain calm. He was a bit anxious about having this talk with Mai, but it was essential. He didn't want this all to be for naught.

"I believe we should discuss the next phase in our relationship," he answered somewhat stiffly.

"Levelheaded as always," Mai remarked. "Alright, where does our relationship go from here?"

He was disappointed to note her slight tone of exasperation at his seriousness. He paused briefly before speaking.

"Marriage," he stated expressionlessly.

Mai was visibly shocked by his reply.

"You want to get married!?" she blurted.

Lin effortlessly maintained a straight face.

"Well, if you insist," he quipped.

Almost immediately, Mai realized he was joking. She shook her head and smiled a little.

"Not after one date," she gently bantered.

"Alright, three dates, then marriage," Lin deadpanned.

Mai tilted her head slightly as she stared at him. Was he still joking? He looked completely serious.

"Oh my gosh, Lin-san," she laughed, "I can't even tell if you're joking right now."

Lin gently frowned.

"Do you think I am?" he asked.

Mai immediately stopped laughing. Her heart was suddenly racing.

"You are, right?" she asked nervously.

Lin's expression remained serious for a moment before he started laughing.

"Yes, mostly," he admitted. "Did I take that too far?"

Mai released a heavy sigh.

"You did have me worried for a moment," she confessed.

Lin smiled slightly.

"I'm in love with you," he stated, "but I haven't taken complete leave of my senses."

Mai felt her heart flutter. They way he said he loved her with that smile was breathtaking. She realized he had a really nice smile and she wished she could see it more often. She couldn't help smiling in return.

"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you did," she said softly. "A girl likes feeling wanted every now and then."

His gentle smile widened almost imperceptibly.

"Taniyama-san, I'd really like to continue seeing you romantically," he admitted. "And I can understand if your feelings aren't as strong as mine, but hopefully in time they will be."

Mai smiled even more. She felt incredibly happy right now.

"I'd like that, too," she agreed. "And I'm really glad you're not in love with Naru."

Lin laughed lightly as he remembered the event that caused him to confess his love for her.

"I'm really glad you're not either," he admitted.

Mai couldn't help feeling a little guilty about how things ended with Naru.

"Yeah, but I probably wounded his ego," she noted.

"With his ridiculously high amount of pride, it won't stay bruised for long," Lin reassured. "Besides, he needs to be put in his place every now and then. As do I."

Mai laughed a little.

"The number of times I've had to put you in your place is nothing compared to Naru," she replied. "It gets a little tiresome actually."

"Then I'll endeavor to be on my best behavior," he assured her.

"It's too late for that now, Lin-san," she informed him. "I already know your worst traits."

"I'd like to think I've grown up a lot over the years since I first met you," he responded. "You've played a large part in that."

"Yes, you've blossomed into a beautiful flower," Mai playfully teased.

"That more aptly describes you, I think," Lin pointed out.

"Yes, I'm a girl who out blooms even a flower," she agreed.

"Most definitely," he added.

* * *

 **A/N:** I never planned for this story to go beyond this point, so I think I'm going to end it here b/c I don't have anything else. Beyond this would just be them dating and I'm already currently in the midst of writing another Lin/Mai dating story that I've dedicated all my love to. I hope you've enjoyed this. Please let me know what you thought of the story as a whole. Thanks for reading.


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